Of War and Love
by fireofthetorch
Summary: Follows Sami and Eagle through the Advance Wars series.
1. Part 1 Prologue

I don't own Advance Wars. Wait...nope. Don't own nothin'.

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Part 1  
The Beginnings of an Alliance

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Prologue

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"You are the finest Orange Star has to offer…" The president's voice trailed throughout the large auditorium. "You must help to defend your country against these attacks."

Soldiers, sailors, and marines all filled the room. The stood at ease listening to every word the president said. Officers stood at the back of the room. Two officers stood at a slight distance to the rest.

"Hey, uh, Max, who's talking?" The shorter of the two look up at the bigger.

"What?! You don't know who the president is, Andy?" The taller, burlier man shook his head.

"Oh, right. I thought I recognized him." Andy leaned forward looking at the other officers. "So, who are they?"

"Officers. We won't work with most of them, but I can point out a couple we will work with." Max turned to look in the same direction. "Like you see the short one with reddish-orange hair?"

"Yeah."

"That's Samantha, though she prefers people call her Sam or Sami. She the infantry specialist. All over her grunts are the best in all of Orange Star and she's the best of them all."

"Wow."

"You got that right. And the tall blonde girl, that's Nell, our new commanding officer. Those are the two we'll mainly be working with." Andy nodded with amazement.

"So, what's Nell good at?"

"Well, she's good all around. She is also very lucky. That's the reason she rose through the ranks so fast. Nell's also really smart."

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The man took of his glasses and set them down on the desk. He slowly rubbed his eyes. _"Why did they do this?! What did we ever do to them?!" _He slammed his fist down on the desk. He wasn't going to let them get away with this.

"Eagle?" A thick Scottish accent filled the room.

"What is it, Drake? Do you know who the commander of the battalion was?"

"Aye, some new kid name Andy." Drake completely entered the room dressed in his navy uniform.

"So, was it Orange Star?"

"Aye, mate."

"I knew it." Eagle leaned back in his chair. "They're going to pay for this." His voice held a steady tone with only a slight hint of anger, even though inside he was furious.

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Rockets and bombs rocked the building. Andy could barely stay standing trying to get to Nell in between blasts.

"Nell? Nell! We're under attack!" He rushed over to her.

"Yeah, but by whom? Blue Moon's not in this area." Nell stumbled over to a window to get a better look. "Those planes…it's Green Earth!"

"Who?" Andy had moved next to her.

"Andy, get down to the field and launch a defensive strike! Now! Go!" With that order, Andy turned and rushed down the stairway. Ten floors to go… nine… eight. Before he knew it he was on the ground floor.

"Sir!" A soldier rushed over to Andy.

"What is it?" Andy ran to meet the soldier halfway.

"Sir, the enemy force is primarily air units!" the soldier said huffing and puffing from his sprint.

"Alright, get anti-air and missiles out here now. We'll take 'em out of the skies!"

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Eagle, again, slammed his fist into his desk back at the mission headquarters. _"Shoot! I lost!"_

"Sir, there's a communiqué from Orange Star!"

"Bring it up on the screen." The soldier did as he was told. Up on the screen appeared an angry Andy.

"Are you the commander of the Green Earth forces?" There was a harsh tone in his voice.

"Yes, I am." Eagle instantly recognized him. _"That's him. That's the guy!"_

"Why the heck are you attacking us? What'd we ever do to you?!"

"You fool, like you don't know!" Eagle squeezed his hands into fits.

"Don't know what?!"

"You attacked us, stupid!" Eagle shook from his anger.

"What?! When?"

"Deny it all you want! It won't change what happened!" Eagle's mouth formed into a harsh frown. "But mark my words, you will pay!"


	2. A Meeting of Fate

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Chapter 1  
A Meeting of Fate

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"So, we've moved far from Orange Star territory and we've almost completely wiped out the Blue Moon forces. We have come far." Nell stood at the head of the table with Sami, Max, and Andy all sitting around.

"What's next, Nell?" Max leaned back in his chair.

"Well, we're going to get rid of the remaining resistance, then… I don't know."

"What about Green Earth? Why'd they attack us? And are they going to attack again?" Andy was worried. Green Earth was a powerful force to deal with.

"I don't know. I have some intelligence officers searching for the answers, but they haven't come up with anything..." Nell's voice trailed off as a soldier entered the room. "Yes, what is it?"

"Ma'am, there's a huge Green Earth force headed this way!"

"All air units again?"

"No, ma'am. They've also got a modest force of ground units as well."

"What are the ground units made up of?"

"Mainly infantry, but some tanks and recons. They have some anti-air and missiles as well."

"Thank you." The soldier turned and walked back out the door she entered from.

"Dang, to bad my troops are still recovering…" Max's head turned downward.

"I'll go." Sami stood up to walk out the door. "That alright?"

"Yes, Andy will provide backup. You're going for the headquarters, aren't you?" Sami nodded as she walked out.

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"Sir, wait! Are you sure?" The airman could barely keep up with Eagle.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. I'm not going to let our troops be destroyed. I will lead the charge." Eagle continued walking, leaving the airman in the hall alone.

"_We lost last time. But I will not lose again! I'll show Andy…I'll show him what happens to those that defy Green Earth!"_

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Sami walked through the halls of the recently captured headquarters. _"So, their commander isn't here…"_ Suddenly a marine came running up behind her. She turned around.

"Ma'am, there's a communiqué from Green Earth." Sami walked back to the main room.

"Andy! Defy me again I see!" Eagle's voice called from the screen.

"Who are you calling Andy?!" Sami shouted back.

"W-who? Who is this?!" Eagle calmed down a bit after seeing her. _"That's defiantly not Andy…"_

"You can call me Sami, and, yes, I am the one who took you're HQ here. You got a problem with that?" She tilted her head and put her hands on her hips in defiance. "And you know what, I don't like your tone right know."

"I…I, uh." He didn't know how to respond. "I don't care for yours either!"

"Who are you?!"

"Name's Eagle, like that matters to you."

"So, Eagle, you wanta tell me why you continue to harass us?" He voice turned to a more innocent tone, but it still carried some harshness.

"Like you don't know." Eagle's voice went low and hard.

"Know what?" Sami tilted her head to the other side. "All I know is that you've been attacking us."

"Yeah, after you attacked us!" The anger he felt from the attack on Green Earth came flooding back into his head, but for some reason he couldn't blame her for it.

"What are you talking about?" She crossed her arms.

"Just let your commander know that we will not stand for this!" he retorted. There was a short moment of silence. "Um, by the way, I-I'm sorry for the way I acted before…" His voice trailed off as his face disappeared from the screen.

_"D-did he just apologize to me?" _Sami was astounded. She gave a weak smile. _"Maybe he's not so bad…"_

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"So that's what he said." Sami stood across the desk from Nell.

"Hm, well, looks like we're now going after Green Earth." Nell leaned back in her chair. Sami let out an exasperated sigh. She didn't want this war to continue any longer. First having to deal with Blue Moon, now Green Earth, and the only way to get to Green Earth now is through Yellow Comet. And they probably won't like us waltzing though their land.

"So, that's the way it's got to be?" Nell nodded in reply. Sami turned her head and looked out the window.

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Eagle leaned to one side of the chair as he took another drink of his coffee. It was the only think keeping him up at this late hour. He had done all the paperwork and everything else he needed to do. But something was bothering him, and he wasn't going to sleep until he figured it out.

"_She's with the enemy. But there's something different about her…" _He knew that she had to be part of the cause of the attack, but he couldn't stay mad at her. Why? He didn't know. He leaned back and set the coffee on the desk. _"Why is this bothering me?"_ He let out a sigh.

_"Sami…"_

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Sami looked around at the empty hallway of the headquarters. _"Completely empty…"_ She moved halfway down the hallway and sat at one of the chairs lining the hall. She sighed and leaned back. _"Why is this bothering me…?" _She closed her eyes. _"What was he talking about? We didn't attack him?" _She slowly pulled her glasses off and set them down on the chair next to them. She placed her hands on her lap. She bit her lip.

"_He acted all rude, but then apologized to me. What's up with that?" _Sami hadn't told anyone about the apology, figured it was better left unsaid, especially when she didn't know why he had done so. _"There's something…different about him…"_ She sighed again and leaned forward.

_"Eagle…"_


	3. Hints of Foul Play

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Chapter 2  
Hints of Foul Play

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"Eagle!" Drake voice could be heard behind him.

"What? What is it?" Eagle was tired from the long night before. He had gotten very little sleep.

"Orange Star is on their way here, mate. They've already passed through Yellow Comet."

"Really…when will they be here?"

"Less than a day." Eagle nodded at this.

"Get your forces out to destroy their ships. I'll take care of the skies!" Drake nodded and walked out. Eagle went to leave, but turned looking back out the window. He spoke but his voice was low, barely even a whisper. "Sami…are you going to be there?"

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Sami looked outside the window of the transport copter.

"Hey, Sami! You okay?" Andy called from the other side of the copter.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine…fine." He had startled out of her thinking.

"Come on, Sam. We know you better than that. What's wrong?" Max called out from the side.

"Nothing, it's…nothing." Sami looked back out the window.

"Really?" Max crossed his arms. "I don't believe you." Sami didn't answer him this time and continued looking out the window. Nell opened her eyes and leaned forward. She was trying to get a couple more moments of sleep, but she realized that all hope for that was now lost.

"Sami, you've been acting weird sense that battle with Eagle." Sami continued looking out the window. There was a lull in the talking for a minute.

"So?" Sami turned her head to look farther out the window. Her eyes squinted as the morning sun rose.

"So, we want to know what happened. Tell us."

"Nothing happened." She looked back at them. "That's it. Now, please, drop it."

"Fine. Though I still think something's wrong…" Max leaned back and closed his eyes. Sami looked back out the window towards Green Earth as it slowly rose on the horizon.

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"I can't believe they got past our defenses!" Eagle's hands were in fists again.

"Eagle, ya got to calm down." Drake's cool voice could hardly calm Eagle down. "Look, why don't you go and tighten the defenses farther inland. I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"Why exactly are you offering to do this? It's unlike you."

"I've gotta hunch I wanta work out. Just say yes and go, mate."

"Fine. Be careful."

"When am I not?"

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"What's this?" Nell wondered. "I know we're fighting Green Earth, but it's not Eagle who's commanding them."

"Ma'am, I have the info on the enemy commanding officer you wanted." Nell turned and took the papers from the soldier.

"Thank you." The soldier turned and exited. Nell sat down at the desk and started reading through the file.

"Nell? Nell, come in." The communicator on the desk buzzed. Nell picked it up and paused a moment before answering.

"Yes, Sami, what is it?"

"Do we know who the commanding officer is yet? It's not Eagle, is it?"

"No, it's not Eagle. It a sailor named Drake. Supposedly the best when it comes to naval battles."

"Well, what's his weakness?"

"It's air and ground."

"So we should push him to where he has to fight on ground."

"Exactly."

"Will do." With a click the conversation was over.

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"Drake, you…you lost." Eagle stared at him in disbelief.

"Aye, but I found out some good info for ya, mate." Drake had a happy smile. "The Orange Star that we're fightin' now is not the same Orange Star that attacked us earlier."

"That's not true! I saw him! I saw Andy!"

"Aye. That's what I thought too, but their tactics are completely different as if we're fighting a different army." Drake moved closer to Eagle and placed his hand on his shoulder. "If you still don't believe me, test them out for ya-self. I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about."

"Fine, I'll do that, and I'll lead the charge."

"That's the Eagle I know." Eagle turned and walked out to the briefing room.

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	4. A Fight of Rage

I actually wrote this chapter first, looking to make it just a one-shot. Then I decided to make it a story. So, enjoy!

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Chapter 3  
A Fight of Rage

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"_What's so different about this mission?"_ He couldn't shake the thought of the next mission. It was going to be just like all the others, but he felt like there was something different… _"Ah, stop it, Eagle!"_ He shook his head to try and clear his head.

"Commander Eagle" Eagle was startled by the voice coming from the side of the fighter.

"Yes, what is it?" Eagle looked up and saw a soldier standing on a ladder looking at him in his cockpit.

"Sir, all the preparations are complete. You may head out on to the runway," the soldier replied.

"Thank you." The soldier saluted as Eagle closed the cockpit cover after he had put his helmet on. After the soldier had moved the ladder out of the way, Eagle set forth out into the clear day. Thoughts haunted him as he moved the fighter nearer to the runway. _"What's the matter with me today?!" _Eagle sighed as the fighter moved onto the runway. The jet quickly built up speed as soon Eagle was off into the blue sky. After clearing the airfield he quickly took a turn to the right.

"Fighters, move into attack position alpha, over!" After all the replies of roger and wilco, the fighters moved into a v-shaped formation with Eagle in the center leading the charge. About fifteen minutes later the fighters were over Orange Star airspace. "Prepare for attack! We gotta clear away for the bombers, over!" The fighters spread a little father a part.

"Ah, sir, it's no good. They've gotta anti-air and rockets, over!"

"Everyone, take evasive actions, over!" After giving the order, Eagle looked down at the radar. _"Crap!" _Two anti-air missiles were headed straight for him. _"Ah! They're to close!"_ There was nothing he could do avoid impact. He looked to his right and moved to press the red button labeled 'Eject'. As soon as he pushed it, he was quickly shot out of his fighter. All he could do was watch as the missiles destroyed the jet. He pulled at the yellow cord over his left shoulder and the parachute came out.

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"Ah, Sami, thanks for getting here so fast." Nell was relieved.

"No problem, but why exactly do you need me here? I thought Andy was handling this mission." Sami tilted her head and crossed her arms.

"He is, but, I need you to do a special mission." Nell turned and walked toward a big screen surrounded by many tinier screens in the front of the room. Sami followed. "We've received intel stating that the commander of the Green Earth forces was shot down during the fight. We need you to go find him."

"Right, I'll get my squad ready." Sami put on a big smile and moved to walk out the door.

"Sam, wait, come back." Sami looked back surprised. "Sami, you're going alone."

"What?! Why?" Sami ran her hands through her hair.

"We need the rest of your squad to hang back as back-up," Nell noticed Sami's concerned look, "Now, I don't like this as much as you do, but this order is coming from above me."

"Fine. When do you want me to be ready to go?"

"As soon as possible. Here are some intel about where he was shot down and all the other stuff you need to know."

"Thanks." Sami turned and walk out the door.

Sami sighed as she walked down the hallway. _"Commander… I wonder if that's Eagle."_ She shook her head. _"No, couldn't be. He'd never get shot down." _ She produced a faint smile.

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Eagle felt like he had been walking for hours in the deep green forest. _"Huh?!"_ He turned around suddenly at the sound of leaves crackling. He stood in silence looking at the direction the sound had come from. _"Ah, must have been some stupid animal."_ He walked forward. Suddenly, he saw a silhouette peering through the forest. The silhouette saw him and went into a dead run for him.

_"Crap! It's Orange Star!"_ He turned to run. He ran, faster and faster, but the silhouette kept getting closer. He turned and took a hard left followed by another. The silhouette turned and slowly stopped running, scanning the forest for its prey.

Eagle had made a hard left and now waited behind a tree several feet in front of the silhouette. He held his breath as the silhouette crept closer. Eagle quietly removed his pistol from its holster and turned it to wield it like a hammer.

_"Ah, they're here."_ Eagle made a slight grin as the silhouette slowly walked past him. He lifted up the pistol and wacked the silhouette on its head. It let out a sharp gasp of pain as it went tumbling down to the ground. Eagle quickly recognized the uniform. _"Marine, eh?" _The marine slowly rose. Eagle cocked the pistol and pointed the gun right at the marine.

"Don't move!" Eagle ordered. The marine slowly put his hands up. "Hand on top of your head, now!" The marine didn't move. Eagle moved closer. "Do it!"

"No!" came the reply. Eagle moved closer pushing the gun out farther from him. The marine gave a short chuckle.

"What?!" Eagle furrowed his eyebrows in anger. Quickly the marine hit the gun out of his hand and landed a punch on his face. Eagle shifted back bleeding. The marine quickly drew out a knife and lunged for Eagle's throat.

_"Darn it!"_ He knew his attacker was well trained in close combat. Eagle pushed the knife away from him and punched the attacker it the gut. The marine lunged forward pushing Eagle to the ground. After taking a quick breath, the marine plunged toward him wielding the knife.

Eagle held the attacker back with his hand and punched up at the marine's face with his other hand. The assailant was forced backward. Quickly regaining his composure, the marine sprinted toward Eagle, grabbing him by the collar. Eagle got in a good punch and the marine's footing stumble, and they both fell to the ground and went tumbling down a steep hill. They continued attacking each other on the way down, but the marine eventually gain the upper hand just as they landed at the base of the hill.

"Wha-?!" Eagle look up at the face of his attacker which was now completely visible due to the loss of the marine's helmet. The marine look back at him, directly in the eyes.

"S-sami!" Eagle let out a deep breath. Sami furrowed her eyebrows. Blood trickled down her neck from the blow Eagle had given her with his pistol. She slowly pushed herself up, grabbing the collar of his flight jacket on the way. After she had lifted herself up along with Eagle, she pushed him back away from her. Eagle looked back at her. He noticed she had a black eye along with blood slowly trickling down from it.

"_D-did I do that?"_ Eagle felt his stomach fall in guilt. He felt blood slowly trickle down his left ear along with blood coming out of his nose.

"So, you're the one that got shot down." Sami tried to keep herself from laughing. Eagle realized this.

"What's so funny?" He was ticked. What was she laughing at?

"The great pilot of Green Earth was shot down? Amazing!" Sami let out a light chuckle and put on a big grin. "-And shot down by Andy none the less!"

"Andy…" Eagle's voice went low. Sami looked at him, wondering.

"Yeah, so?" She pushed some lose strands of her hair out of her face, and moved her hands down to her hips, setting them there defiantly.

"Idiot! Don't you remember?!" Eagle yelled. Sami shifted back, surprised.

"Remember what?" Sami had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

"When Orange Star sent Andy to attack us!" As he said those word the memories of that day came flooding back into his mind. The blood, the carnage… he shook his head. "That's what I'm asking you to remember!"

"What are you talking about?! We never sent Andy to attack Green Earth!" She grew closer to Eagle with her hands still on her hips. "You're the one who attacked us first!"

"Liar! You attacked us!" Eagle drew his hands into fists and moved as if to hit her, but, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"What?!"

"That's right!" Eagle sighed and lowered his voice, "I remember that day perfectly. Drake and I were out doing basic maneuvers with our troops deep within Green Earth territory when this young lieutenant runs up to us. He starts babbling about some attack from Orange Star, so we both took our troops and headed to the place the lieutenant told us about. And what did we find there? Dead soldier, sailors, and marines everywhere! Fighters crashed into the ground! And yelling back at us using a megaphone….Andy."

Sami let out a slight gasp and backed up.

"You're lying…"

"No, I'm not lying." Eagle grunted. "So there, that's my story. Andy of Orange Star attacked us."

"Hm…but the Andy I know would never do that…" Sami crossed her arms.

"Right," Eagle replied sarcastically.

"No, I'm serious. The Andy I know is too, um, too stupid to do something like that on his own. And if it would have been ordered for him to do it, I would have known, trust me." Sami looked back at him.

"Fine, believe what you want," he replied, "So, now what?"

"We're going to the Orange Star HQ." She turned but continued looking behind her. "Come on."

"So, what am I your prisoner now?"

"No, I'll explain everything to Nell, she'll understand."

"Doubt it, you don't even understand."

"I don't understand everything, but I believe you were attacked, but at least not by the Andy I know."

"What are you talking about?!" Eagle wouldn't hear it.

"Look, I don't know everything, but I think you were tricked by someone into believing it was Andy." She looked back at him showing deep concern in her eyes.

"Fine, looks like we're going to get nowhere with this. Let's get going." Eagle walked up next to her. Sami nodded back.

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	5. The Plot Revealed

I won't be updating for a while over the summer. So, please be patient. I'll try and get the chapters in when I can.

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Chapter 4  
The Plot Revealed

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"Ah, so it was the commander that was shot down," Nell stated as Sami and Eagle walked closer. While Eagle had walked freely right alongside Sami in the forest, now on the base, he was carefully guarded by MPs.

"Is he fully unarmed now?" Nell tilted her head and examined Eagle carefully.

"Well, not quite…" Sami walked over to Eagle. "I'll take that knife in your boot now." She held out her hand.

"So now you ask for it… I guess you're a trusting person if you let walk freely with this." Eagle lifted his boot off of the ground and pulled the knife out and placed it in her hand.

"Think what you will." She took the knife and handed it to Nell.

"Sami, what's going on?" Nell looked at disbelief at her.

"I'll explain everything." Sami moved to go inside the building.

"Take him to the holding cells," Nell ordered the MPs.

"No, wait. He should be in there too." Sami looked back.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

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All three of them entered the interrogation room together. MPs stood guard outside the door.

"Alright, Sam, explain everything." Nell crossed her arms and took a seat across the table from Eagle. Eagle was also sitting, but Sami continued to stand next to the table facing the other two.

"Well, I-" She was interrupted by a MP opening the door.

"What is it?" Nell stood.

"Sonja from Yellow Comet has just arrived, ma'am."

"Well, tell her I'll be out there as soon as I'm done here." Nell sat back down.

"But, ma'am, she says she has information on why Green Earth has been attacking us." Upon hearing this, Nell looked over at Sami, who in turn looked over at the soldier.

"Fine, bring her in here." The soldier turned and left. A couple moments later Sonja entered the room.

"Hello, Nell," Sonja said with a smile. She scanned the room and notice how beat up Sami was. "So, Sami, how many guys were in the fight?" Sami's face turned to give a slightly ticked look.

"Just one, but he's pretty beat up, too."

"Wait, are you talking about me?" Eagle retorted. Sami folded her arms and gave him an evil smirk.

"Ah… now, shall we get down to business." Sonja sat in the only chair left which was next to Nell. "Obviously we all should know about Green Earth attacking Orange Star and what not. So what's the reason why?"

"Because they attacked us first!" Eagle slammed his fist into the table.

"Eagle, that wasn't us!" Sami moved closer to Eagle.

"Right, like I'm going to believe you!" Eagle stood and moved towards Sami.

"Calm down, you two!" Sonja managed to calm them down. "Now, what Eagle just said was true, but what Sami just said also was true."

"What?!" Sami had a look of disbelief.

"Someone attack Green Earth posing as Orange Star. It's that simple." Sonja gave a peaceful look back at her.

"But, but, I saw him! I saw Andy!"

"Eagle, calm down. I still don't have all the pieces, but it's not the Andy from Orange Star." Sonja looked at the others in the room.

"Go on, Sonja," Nell urged.

"Well, um, that's all I know…" Sonja blushed slightly. Nell turned to Sami.

"There was something that you wanted to explain?" Sami was startled.

"Uh, basically all that Sonja just said." She rubbed the back of her next forgetting it was injured. Sami let out a slight grunt. The injury had stopped bleeding and was bandaged along with the rest of her injuries. Eagle's injuries were bandaged too.

"You still didn't explain why you let him keep that knife. You could have been killed by him."

"Uh, well…" Sami blushed a bit. She didn't know quite how to put her feelings into words.

"Come on."

"I, uh, trusted him." She looked down at the table.

"Trusted? You had just gotten out of a fight with him." Nell leaned forward. Sami turned her head away trying to hide the fact she was blushing.

"Wait, you two must have talked after the fighting stopped, and that's how you learned you could trust him." Sonja tilted her head and gave Sami a big grin.

"Yeah, I, uh, guess that's how it went…" Sami gave a short glance over at Sonja. Sonja started grinning from ear to ear. Sami looked directly back at Sonja. "What?!"

"I get it all now." Sami was shocked at Sonja. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to say anything…yet." Sonja stood and exited the room.

"Sami, what was she talking about?" Sami turned back to Nell.

"I-I have no idea." She bit her lip. She had just lied, something she didn't like doing, but she had no choice. She couldn't let them know, at least not yet.

"Still, there's no proof to Sonja's story."

"Yeah, but it's the only one that makes sense. It explains what Green Earth saw and what Orange Star did." There was a moment of silence between the three of them. The moment was quickly ruined with the force of rockets impacting the building.

"What the-" Nell and Eagle stood up as the next round hit. Nell headed for the door while Sami followed close behind with Eagle coming last. Another round hit the building, this time with added force. Sami fell backwards, only to be caught by Eagle. He pushed her back up.

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"Nell! Nell! We're under attack!" Andy ran towards the three just as they exited from the room. He abruptly stopped when he saw Eagle, causing Max, who was running behind, to crash in to him. "What-what's he doing here?!"

"Andy, calm down. He's not the enemy anymore." Nell moved to where Andy had stopped.

"Oh, jolly, when did you decide that?" Eagle replied sarcastically.

"Well, the attack is not from Blue Moon or Yellow Comet, and I'd highly doubt that Green Earth would attack us while we have a 'V.I.P.' in our mist. So, it has to be another outside force."

"Yes, perhaps the one behind all this mess." Everyone turned to see Sonja walking up to them from another hallway. Nell nodded back.

"Andy, prepare your units for defense."

"But, they just got done with this last battle, and so did Max's," Andy retorted.

"So, I guess I'm going then." Sami moved to catch up with Nell, but was quickly stopped and pulled back by Eagle. He lowered his voice and began speaking.

"What are you doing? You're too injured to go out there now." His grip had been tight on her arm, he now loosened it.

"I am, but my soldiers are not." Sami pulled her arm out of his grip. As she went to meet up with Nell, Sonja stifled a laugh. "Shut up, Sonja!" Sami barked back. After Sami and Nell had gotten a good distance away, Eagle began walking in the same direction, only to be stopped by Max standing in his way.

"Where do you think you're going, eh?"

"To place a call to Green Earth."

"Telling them that you've been able to fool everybody with that stupid story of yours?" Eagle forcefully held himself back.

"No, to tell them to send troops to help you immediately."

"Why do you care?"

"I'm not letting Sami go out there alone." He was trying to be very forceful, but was wary of ticking Max or Andy off. He moved to get passed Max, but Max held onto his arm with a firm grip.

"Why do you care about her?" Max didn't trust him one bit right now. First, he had attacked Orange Star with this supposed story of them attacking Green Earth first. Secondly, he knew Eagle had done something to Sami in their battle earlier. Thirdly, he had tried to kill her, so, why now would he what to help her? He was shaken out of his thinking by Eagle ripping his arm away.

"Because I do." Max went to pull him back again, but by then he was too far gone.

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	6. The Eyes of Evil

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Chapter 5  
The Eyes of Evil

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"You've lost, Orange Star." A voice came through the communications link.

"Who is this?!" Sami was angry and a bit nervous. _"Who the heck is behind all this?! Darn it!"_

"Andy, duh." The voice replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"No, really, who are you?" She lifted her finger off the talk button. "Can somebody get me a visual feed here?!"

"Andy."

"I'm serious. Who are you?" She slowed down her speech pattern.

"Andy. Must we go around and around again and again?" Sami lowered her head. Of course they had to. She needed that video feed of his face, and the computers picked a good time to crash. She recognized the voice. It was Andy's alright. But hadn't she left him down with Max, Eagle, and Sonja. He couldn't have gone AWOL within that short amount of time.

"It's almost fixed, ma'am…There! Got it!" Sami looked up as the soldier gave his shouts of joy. She was horrified.

"Hm. You look beat up, Commander." The 'Andy' was looking straight back at her.

_"Eagle wasn't lying… crap." _She tried to hide the fear in her eyes. It looked just like Andy, but it wasn't. "Not as beat up as your about to be."

"I wouldn't be threatening me, Commander." 'Andy' made a slight frown.

"That wasn't a threat. It was a promise."

"Fine then, let the battle begin, Commander." 'Andy's' face disappeared from the screen.

"Who was that?" Sami turned and saw Nell, Eagle, and the rest of them, but she was sure Eagle had asked the question.

"It…it was…Andy."

"What?! But…but I'm right here!" Andy was quickly before Sami. "C'mon, you're joking r-right? It's not me, is it?"

"I-I, um, it's not you, but it is you."

"Wha-?!" He was confused.

"It was a clone, wasn't it?" Sonja spoke from the back of the group.

"Probably…"

"So, it was a clone I saw." Eagle crossed his arms in contempt…contempt of himself.

"Yeah," Sami and Sonja answered in unison causing them both to look up and quickly turn away from each other's gaze.

"Ma'am, the enemy troops are nearing the city!" Nell nodded and sent the soldier on his way.

"Sami, I thought you took care of this." Nell's voice was cold.

"I did." Sami turned to look back out of the battlefield. Suddenly, the roar of fighters and bombers came from above. "What?!"

"I guess it's good that Max let me make that phone call." Eagle gave a smirk.

"You sent for Green Earth troops?" Nell turned, surprised.

"Yeah, good thing too." His smirk got wider.

"Commander Eagle, come in, sir." Eagle grabbed the radio without looking down.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Sir, we have your fighter ready down in hangar nine."

"Thank you, I'll be down shortly." He re-hooked the radio to his side and looked back up at Sami. "Let my troops take care of this. Go see if you can find the son of a gun that made that clone!" Eagle turned and walk swiftly out the door.

"You heard him. Everyone get your troops ready to go!" Nell ordered. Sami gave an order to her troops and walked out the door, trying to catch up with Eagle. She finally found him in an empty hall.

"Eagle!" she shouted as she ran to catch up with him. He stopped and turned to look at her.

"Sami, what are you doing here?"

"You're not going alone." She breathed deeply. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not. You're going to help out the others. Now, go back to them!" Eagle pushed her gently back.

"No! I'm going with you!" She hit his hand away and moved closer to him. "You can't do it alone." Her voice was severely quieter in tone.

"Maybe not, but they need you here." He lowered his voice's tone as well.

"No, you'll…you'll…" She couldn't bear to finish the sentence.

"Die." He finished it for her. She looked up at him. "Is that what you're afraid of?" He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I survived a fight with the toughest marine ever, and you think I'm going to die that easily?" Sami gave him a weak smile. She turned and walked back the way she came.

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Sami placed the drink on her tray and walked over to an empty table and sat down. She ate, but slowly and depressingly. She stared at her food as she ate it, not even looking up once. She didn't even notice when Drake sat down across from her.

"What's the matter, lass?" Sami jerked suddenly and looked up at the old sailor in front of her.

"Not-nothing. It's nothing," she replied sharply and quickly.

"Really, lass, you expect me to believe that?" He was right. It was a pitiful attempt at diverting him away from her and her feelings. "Now, what's wrong?" Sami gave no response, she just continued to swirl her food with her fork.

"Let me guess…it's about a certain bird, right?" She inhaled sharply.

"Perhaps…" She turned her gazed away from her food for a moment to all the other soldiers crowding the room. They were all talking and laughing together. Different soldiers from different countries. Orange Star, Yellow Comet, Blue Moon, and, yes, Green Earth.

"A bird named Eagle." Sami looked back at him. She looked him directly in the eye. "There's no reason for you to be worried about him, lass. He's the 'Prince of the Skies' after all." Sami looked down, not at her food, just down.

"I know." She looked back up at Drake. "I know in my mind I shouldn't worry, but I can't stop worrying about him."

"Because of your feelings…"Drake's voice trailed off. Sami let out a light gasp.

"_How? How did he know? D-did I make it that obvious?"_

"Your feelings for him." She gave up. It was out. There was no use denying it any more.

"Yeah." She looked to see Drake smiling back at her.

"Don't worry. The only ones that know are me and Sonja."

"So, she told you." Sami felt betrayed. Sonja had said she wouldn't tell anyone.

"No, I figured it out. Just like she did." Drake placed his hands on top of hers which were now on the table. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, lass." He got up, but turned back before he left. "By the way, he feels the same way." Drake turned back and walked away.

"_I thought so..."_ She looked back down at her food. _"Eagle…you'd better make it back…"_

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	7. The Ending

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Chapter 6The Ending

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Sami sat down in her office at the military headquarters at the Orange Star capital. _"Why is he not back yet? We won over a day ago."_ She leaned back in her big computer chair.

_"Maybe…maybe he's…"_ She shook her head at the very thought. She looked up at the door in the office as someone knocked. Sami slowly rose and walked to the door, opening it. She stopped halfway.

"Hello, Sam." Eagle stood there in the doorway. "You want to let me in." Sami opened the door completely and he walked in. "Hey, why's it so dark in here?" He flipped a switch next to the door.

"So, you finally came back." Sami closed the door and walked back behind her desk.

"Yeah, um, I-I'm…" his voice trailed off.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry for how rude I was when I first met you." He blushed lightly.

"Forget about it. That's in the past." She looked back at him with a light grin. He could now see her perfectly in the bright light. While he was wearing the fight suit he wore for combat mission in his aircraft, she was wearing the dress uniform.

The uniform was more formfitting that the combat uniform he had normally seen her in. He also noticed that, though most other female officers wore a skirt with the uniform, she wore slacks. Her cover was setting on the desk and her gloves were on top of that.

"Alright…" Eagle looked down, embarrassed. Here he was wearing a sweaty uniform, and she…she was wearing one of the most elegant uniforms in the Orange Star military.

"Hey, did you happen to bring at least your service dress uniform with you?" He looked back up at her.

"Yeah, why?"

"Good. You've got a treaty signing to go to in an hour. Get changed into it."

"Treaty signing?"

"Yeah, between Green Earth and Orange Star."

"So, you have to be there too." Sami nodded back. "So, I guess it good I brought it with me." He patted the bag that was strapped around his shoulder.

"Good, go ahead and get changed in here." She walked passed him as she spoke.

"What's wrong with the bathroom?"

"To far." She closed the door. He was quickly out of the sweaty flight suit and was now buttoning the long sleeve button up shirt that would go underneath the service coat. As he buttoned he looked around at the pictures on the desk and around the room.

There was a picture of a younger, teenaged Sami along with an older man. He assumed the man was her father. There was another picture of her, maybe in her early twenty's. She looked slightly different. Her hair was pulled back into a small bun and she was wearing a cadet uniform. She stood next to a slightly younger, yet taller woman in the same cadet uniform. Eagle paused. That was Sonja in the picture. The only times he had seen them interact before, they were harsh and cold to each other, yet in this picture, they looked to be best friends.

Eagle grabbed his tie out of the bag and began to tie it around his neck. He moved his eyes to the last picture on the desk. Sami was in the middle, she was the shortest. Surrounding her were five men, each differing in height. All of them wore the same type of clothing, a dark forest green turtleneck with a dark shade of pants. One other had the same reddish-orange hair like Sami. All the others had reddish-brown hair. Her brothers, perhaps? He looked up as someone knocked on the door. He opened the door and let Sami back in.

"Done yet?" She closed the door behind her.

"Almost." Eagle had finished tying his tie and put on the service coat.

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Eagle and Sami walked into the room at the same time, but from different entrances. They had driven together there, but the both figured it wouldn't be right to act as if anything was going on between them.

"Finally! We were wondering if you were ever gonna make it!" Max called as he walked towards her.

"What? I told you I'd be here."

"What were you doing back at headquarters?" Sami gulped.

"I told you, business."

"Yeah, but I asked Nell, and she said there was no work for you to be doing." Her mind raced. She didn't know what to say, then something clicked and she knew exactly what to say.

"Personal business," She crossed her arms as she spoke, "which means, none of your business."

"Right…" Max turned and walked away. Sami watched him as he moved to the front row and sat down next to Andy. She reluctantly walked to them and sat down next to Max. On her right was an empty seat, followed by Drake. She looked up as Drake did when Eagle walked up. He looked but the only open seat was between Drake and Sami. He sat down between them.

"Good evening. If you will please find your seat, we can get started." The event manager walked back off stage. Everyone in the room quieted down and quickly sat down. The event manager walked back on stage. "Now, it would be my honor to welcome the President of Orange Star." Every military personnel in the building rose to attention.

"Thank you. You may take your seats." All that stood, sat back down. "We are here today to join in a treaty with Green Earth, who helped us in the fight against Sturm. I would now like to welcome the Prime Minister of Green Earth." The Prime Minister walked out. She stood next to the president.

"Thank you all for coming," she began. "This treaty we sign today will be a guide for our two countries' relations for years to come." The event manager walked back out with a rolled up paper. The president and prime minister slowly unrolled the paper.

"This is the treaty-the Treaty of Newhaven." The president held the paper proudly. Sami leaned back slightly.

Newhaven…that was where Eagle got shot down. Where she fought with him. Where this whole mess was unraveled. Sturm…the 'Andy clone…all of it. She thought about that past rather than listen to them continue to babble on about the treaty.

She looked up only to watch them sign the treaty and clap at that. As they and a few other important people continued talking, she propped her head up as if she was paying attention, but her mind was elsewhere. Little did she know, but Eagle was doing the exact same thing. Quickly one hour passed. The event manager walked back on stage.

"Thank you all for being her for this momentous night," and with that the ceremony ended. Everyone got up to leave. Andy quickly walked over to Sami, Eagle, and Drake.

"Hey, there's a party for all the commanding officers back at my place! You wanta come?" Sami looked back, smiled, and nodded.

"That sounds like a great idea, laddie." Drake put his arm on Eagle's shoulder. "What do ya say, Eagle?"

"I'm in," and with that Andy ran off to tell Max. Drake pushed Eagle.

"See ya then, mate!" Drake walked off.

"You ready to go?" Sami turned to leave.

"Yeah, let's go."

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Sami's old Jeep stopped slowly in front of Andy's house. They could already smell the barbeque in the air, while they were still a mile away. Eagle and Sami jumped out and headed up the steps to the door. She pressed the doorbell.

"Hey, guys, glad you could make it!" They followed Andy in, through the living room and kitchen, to the backyard. Max was at the grill, making burgers and hot dogs. Everyone else was standing around talking. They were the last ones to get there. They had stopped at Sami's apartment on the way there so they could change. Eagle now wore jeans and a polo shirt with a geometric design and a flight jacket over that. The jacket wasn't his, it was his father's.

Sami was wearing camouflage cargo pants and an olive green shirt that read 'OSMC' on the back. Time passed slowly. Everyone ate about six. By seven, it was too dark to stay outside. Sami and Eagle both sat on Andy's large couch, but they sat at opposite ends making idle chitchat with other people.

Drake came and made Eagle move down toward the middle so he could sit on the end. Sonja came and did the same to Sami. They sat there, next to each other for the rest of the night. After ten, they had to leave. That ride back to the HQ was the last time they were in each other's company. That is until Black Hole came again…

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	8. Part 2 Prologue

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Part 2The Second Coming

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Prologue

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"You've got to be kidding me!" Max pleaded with Sami. She shook her head.

"No, according to the intel, Black Hole is back."

"But didn't we beat Sturm last time?!"

"Yeah, but we didn't destroy him." Max nodded at that.

"So, there here, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet…"

"and Green Earth."

"And there mounting a defensive strike as well?"

"Most likely…" Her voice trailed off. She was worried about him. She hadn't heard much from Green Earth, and what she did hear wasn't good.

"Well, let's go!" Andy interrupted her thoughts with his cheery voice.

"Andy! This is war! What do you have to be excited about?!" Sami's tone was harsh.

"Well, we'll all be fighting side by side again! It'll be like a big family reunion!" and with that Andy was off. Sami looked down and shook her head.

"Well, he's right y'know." Sami looked up at Max as he spoke. "No sense getting all bummed out before the battle begins."

"Right…" She watched him turn and leaved. She slowly followed behind.

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Eagle sat looking out the window pounding his fist into his hand.

"Eagle!" Drake appeared behind him. "We've push Black Hole back, but they still hold a good portion of the country." He was right. Black Hole was being led by the toughest commanding officer they had, outside of Sturm. His name was Hawke.

"So, I guess it's good I came back then, eh?" Eagle scowled at the voice.

"Jess! You're back!" Drake was happy at least. "Your timing couldn't be any better! It a ground war now and you're the best at that!" The red haired figure smiled at the complement.

"Drake, stop it! She merely waited until we were at out most dire moment, the waltz in and safe the day!" Eagle stood and moved toward Jess.

"Hey! It's not like that!" Drake pushed himself between the two of them, fearing a fight.

"I can liberate Green Earth without you, Red!" Eagle pushed himself away from Drake and walked out the door, closing it with a slam.

"Don't mind 'em, Jess. He's just ticked."

"I know, but he could have been a little nicer…"

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	9. To Help an Ally

Hah, what a horrible thing that is writer's block… anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope it's good enough for two months of work…

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Chapter 1To Help an Ally

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"Sam." Sami walked across the room to Nell.

"Yes?"

"I need you to lead a group to Green Earth with supplies. They're beat down badly over there, they need all the help they can get." Sami nodded.

"I'll head out immediately."

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_"Darn it!"_ Sami looked around at the rest of the marines in the forest. "C'mon everyone! Stay tough! We'll make it out!" She had to keep their hopes up, even if she was unsure whether they actually would survive or not.

"Ma'am, we've received a communiqué from the enemy! They ask us to surrender! What's our response?" Sami gritted her teeth. How dare they ask her to surrender!

"Here's my reply. Take it down…word for word."

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"Sir, Black Hole has asked that Orange Star surrender!" Eagle paused and looked at the soldier.

_"Hm, as I recall, Sami's commanding them."_ He sighed. "Well, what was the reply?"

"Well, she, uh, turned them down flat." Eagle looked at him. There was more to this than what the soldier was telling him.

"What did she say-exactly?"

"Um, I'd rather not say, sir…" The soldier looked at the face of his commander. "But, um, how about I write it down on paper and you can read that?" Eagle nodded and the soldier hurriedly wrote the reply down. After he was done, he handed the note to Eagle. Eagle read it. It made him laugh.

_"She's certainly outspoken! As always…"_

"Sir?" He looked up from the note.

"Get everyone ready for combat! We'll go save Orange Star!" Eagle's voice boomed through the small room.

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Sami looked up as the transport copter hovered over head. She smiled.

_"Green Earth. They're here."_ She looked back down at her troops. "Alright everyone! In that chopper, now!" She strained her voice to be heard over the copter. She waited at the bottom of the ladder that fell from the copter as the rest of her grunts climbed up it.

After the final marine had started up the ladder, Sami started up herself. Just as she was about to climb up into the copter a stray anti-air bullet whizzed by and cut the rope right about her hand. A hand pulled out of the copter and caught her before she had a death fall back to earth. She tried, along with the person the hand was attached to, get into the copter. But before she could be pulled to safety, another stray bullet grazed her shoulder. The force from the bullet sent her and the person inside the copter flying out. They fell and hit the earth hard. They continued to roll down a steep hill. They landed at the bottom, but Sami continued to roll for a couple more feet.

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	10. In the Woods

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Chapter 2In the Woods

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"Sam…Sami…Sami, wake up!" She slowly opened her eyes to see the voice that was hovering about her.

"E-Eagle…" she groaned as she awaked. Something–no, everything hurt. She felt blood trickle down her face and then a warm hand to wipe it. She looked at where she was. Eagle had her propped up at an angle, not fully on the ground, but not sitting up either. They were in the middle of the forest, alone. He was bleeding but he didn't seem to hurt as bad as she was.

"Quiet…you need to rest." He laid her down with her head resting on a smooth rock. She hated this. She hated having to be taking care of, even if it was Eagle. But, what could she do? Even, with all her pride, Sami knew she needed help now. She groaned softly and fainted out of consciousness.

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She awoke suddenly. She noticed that a lot of time had passed. Last time she was awake, the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Now, it was becoming night. She looked, but there was no sign of Eagle. She felt better than she did earlier, and she was able to get up into a sitting position.

She scanned the fading forest. Nothing, not even an animal stirred. She then looked as a figure approached from the left. "Sami…you're awake again."

"Yeah…" She felt better but she could hardly speak. She didn't feel anymore bleeding, but there was still pain. She pushed herself to get up, but was quickly pushed back down by Eagle.

"Don't. Stay down. You're in no condition to get up." She felt insulted, but willingly stayed down. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She gave him a weak smile.

"Good." He reached down into his pocket to get something, half of some kind of food bar. He handed it to her. "I hope you like chocolate."Her smile got wider. Like chocolate? She loved it.

"Thanks." She ate the bar, savoring each bite. Eagle sat and arranged nearby twigs and rocks in an orderly fashion. He took a lighter out of his pocket and lit the twigs making a campfire. He looked back up at Sami.

"I put a call in to my troops. They should be here within a couple of hours."

"Look, Eagle, I'm sorry…" She blushed and looked down.

"For what?"

"I never meant to be a burden for Green Earth…"

"Forget it."

"But, I-I let us get surrounded…"

"Let it go. Everyone makes mistakes. But it turned out alright."

"But—"

"Sami, I'm saying this just to help heal your wounded pride. By bringing us supplies, you've increased the morale of Green Earth troops immensely."

"Thank you." Her face was growing more red, but she didn't care anymore.

"No, thank you. The supplies should help ease our burden." They both looked down at the fire. The woods were silent for a moment. "Sam, there's something that's been bothering me."

"What is it?"

"What happened between you and Sonja?" Sami looked up at him, shocked. That was an odd thing to ask.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I saw the picture of you and her on your desk. You two seemed like best friends." Sami's mind went back to the past.

"Well, we were roommates at the Academy about five years ago."

"Roommates?"

"Yes, best friends, but rivals as well."

"How could that be?"

"We were always competing against each other. 'The Intel Princess vs. The Infantry Princess'." Sami smiled and looked down at the blazing fire. "But they were always friendly competitions."

"Then what happened?" Sami let out a deep breath.

"Nothing. We're best friends, but we don't act like it. Most people assume we hate each other." She placed her head in her opened hand. Her fingers moved softly as she felt a bandage over where she was once bleeding.

"It's not the best bandaging in the world, but it'll suffice until we get you to an actual medic."

"Thanks…"She was embarrassed, ticked, and thankful all at the same time. She was embarrassed that she needed his help, ticked that he had helped her, but thankful that he did it anyway. They both looked up as they heard the APC roaring in the distance. Eagle stood.

"That's must be them." They were still for a moment as the APC came closer. It stopped about five yards away from them. Jess got out.

"I'm surprised you actually fell out of an aircraft!" She mocked him.

"Jess…" He lowered his voice.

"Stop. He did it to save me." Sami tried to stand again.

"Sami, no, don't—" It was too late. She was already up.

"Commander! Commander!" A marine came running from the APC. He stopped in front of her. "Ma'am, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She glanced over at Eagle. "But I could use a little medical attention…"

"So, you're the Orange Star infantry commander." Jess looked at Sami. "We have a medic in the APC for you." Sami nodded. She went to walk to the vehicle, but found it hard. The marine propped her up and helped her walk to the APC. "You fell out of a copter for her?!"

"Yes, she helped bring us supplies. She didn't deserve to just fall and die like that."

"Yeah, but in bringing them, she caused us a heck of a hassle."

"But the hassle was from events she couldn't see beforehand." Jess tilted her head, but then turned and walked back to the APC. Eagle followed behind.

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The APC was now packed. Sami took up almost one whole side, as she was lying with her legs stretched, which were now being bandaged by a Green Earth medic. Jess, Eagle, and the Orange Star Marine sat across the vehicle. Two soldiers rode in the front of the APC.

"How's the fighting been in the other counties?" Jess asked.

"All of the others are nearly liberated, all that remains is Green Earth." Jess nodded as Sami spoke. "I'd be glad to offer my assistance, as soon as I get my troops back into fighting condition."

"So, we're going to have to wait a while then?" Jess' voice again had a mocking tone.

"It won't take as long as you think," Sami retorted. After that the APC remain quiet for the rest of the ride, except for soft grunts from Sami as she continued to be bandaged up.

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	11. In a Foreign Country

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Chapter 3  
In a Foreign County

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Sami awoke in the infirmary. She slowly moved into a seating position on the long white bed. She turned and slid off the bed. She grabbed the over-blouse for her combat uniform. She had slept in her combat pants and the shirt she normally wore underneath the blouse. After putting the blouse on, she stepped into her boots.

"So, you're awake now, lass." Sami looked up to see Drake standing about ten feet in front of her.

"Yeah." She continued tying up her boots. "What time is it?"

"Seven in the mornin'." Sami picked up the traditional marine eight-pointed hat that had lain beneath the rest of her equipment. Drake turned and Sami followed. After they exited the infirmary tent, Drake turned back to her and smiled. "Time for breakfast, eh?" Sami nodded back.

She was hungry, very hungry. All she had had the day before was a chocolate bar. She followed him to the mess tent. They entered, got in line, received their food, and headed to a table. The tent was almost empty.

"This is a bit late to be eatin' here."

"I figured as much."

"Anyway, right now Eagle and Jess are talking to Nell. After you finish I'll take ya to them, lass." Sami nodded, and several minutes passed. "Done already, lass?!"

"I didn't get to eat a lot yesterday." Drake nodded at that.

"Well, c'mon. We gotta go see your boss, lass."

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"Sami, you'll be staying here to help Green Earth." Nell's voice encompassed the tent.

"Alright." The communication with Nell ended.

"We've received word that there are Black Hole forces in the Brynn Mountains. But we don't know what units they have," Jess began.

"Then I will take by air force and annihilate them!" Eagle stood, eager to leave.

"No, Eagle! For all we know they could have anti-air and missiles!"

"But if we stand back, they'll over take us! We can't let that happen, Red!"

"I know! But it'll all before nothing if we get defeated!"

"But we can't just sit here!" Drake moved to get between the two, but it was nearly impossible. They continued arguing in spite of him.

"Eagle! You don't know what you're talking about! That'll never work!"

"Like your plan is any better!"

"Will you two shut up?!" Sami forced her fists down on the table, the impact making a large noise. It startled Eagle and Jess out of their argument. "Sheesh, you're worse than siblings!" She took a deep breath.

"Now, here's my advice. Send out a small reconnaissance team and have them figure out what units are out there. Then you can decide who will take the field based on their specialty," she said matter-of-factly. Eagle and Jess both looked over at each other. Eagle was the next to talk.

"That-that's not a bad idea." Jess nodded.

"So, it's decided! We'll go with her idea." Drake nodded and smiled at Sami.

"But we don't have a reconnaissance team available…" Jess' voice trailed off.

"What?! I leave for a mission and nothing but incompetence happens while I'm gone!"

"You were the one who sent the last team out!" Sami sighed as they continued their spat. Her head was hurting, from the arguing and her injures. Many of the medics were surprised that her injures were so minor, seeing as she had fallen from a helicopter. Eagle injures were also minor, but he didn't land on the hard ground. No, he landed on top of her. She looked back up at the pair.

_"Still arguing?!"_ She sighed again. Sami reached for a sheet of paper and quickly jotted down something on it. She slid it across the table to Drake. He grabbed it and read it. He looked back up at her and gave her a look as if to say 'Are you sure?' Sami nodded back at him. Drake set the paper down. He reached down and slid a radio across the table to her. Jess and Eagle were too busy arguing to notice Sami leave, let alone realize her purpose in leaving.

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	12. To the Enemy

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Chapter 4To the Enemy

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Sami moved quickly through the dense forest. Five marines followed. They were four miles south of the Brynn Mountains and had just been dropped off by the APCs. The APCs could have gone father, but four miles was close enough to the enemy, according to Sami.

"Hobson! Move more to the left!" The marine moved as he was ordered. They continued on. They made it to Hebron's Peak, which marked the beginning of the Brynn Mountains. The marines continued, but slower, and stopped once they heard the roar of engines to their right.

"Benjy! Go see what that is!" The marine left, but quickly returned. "What was it?"

"It's Black Hole, ma'am." Sami nodded and motioned for all of them to follow her.

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Jess and Eagle stopped from their bickering long enough to notice Sami's absence.

"Hey, where'd Sami go?" Eagle looked over at Drake.

"She went off to do what you two were too busy arguing to do. Y'know, go survey the enemy."

"And you just let her go?!" Drake nodded.

"The lass was determined. I figured I'd just let her go. It's better than having her sit around here listening to you two babble on."

"See, Jess, this is what happens when you're too hard headed!"

"I'm not the hard headed one here!" Drake leaned back and groaned.

_"Not again…"_

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Sami pushed herself forward so she could look over the ridge. _"Crap, that's a lot of tanks..." _She took a deep breath as she pulled the radio out of her pocket. She pushed herself back down and rolled onto her back.

"Hey, this is Sami, do you read me?" Drake's infamous accent came through the radio.

"Yes, lass, what is it?"

"Black Hole's heading south of Brynn. There's mainly tanks, but there're prepared with anti-air and missiles."

"Understood. Do ya have any idea who the commanding officer is?" Sami set the radio down for a moment and took another look over the ridge. She then heard a familiar voice.

"Soldier, are the anti-air defenses ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, Eagle and his air force should be here soon," the Black Hole commanding officer let out an uncommon chuckle. Sami moved back into the position on her back and held the radio back to her mouth.

"Yes, Drake. It's Hawke."

"Ah, I see, lass."

"I'd send Jess. They seem to be preparing for a strike by Eagle."

"Alright, lass."

"I'll stay here and watch 'em. Don't wait too long to send the troops out."

"Right." Sami put the radio back down in her pocket. She let out a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that she had stopped Eagle from coming. He'd have been dead by now. Sami shuddered at the thought. She shook her head to try and clear her mind.

She continued watching the Black Hole forces as they moved down the slim mountain pass. She closely watched Hawke, trying intently to hear on what he said. Her tries were in vain. But, that wasn't the worst of her problems. "Fletcher, be careful! Don't give us away!" Her cries came too late. The marine had already slipped. He didn't fall down into the mist of the enemies, but rather sent lose rocks, twigs, and dirt down on top of them.

"What was that?" Hawke looked up at where the marine had almost fallen. He turned to two grunts standing beside him. "Get up there and see what's going on." They didn't move. "Go! Now!" Hawke's voice boomed through the pass. Uphill from there, Sami got the radio out again. She now leaned up against a tree, trying to hide herself from Hawke's piercing eyes.

"Drake, how close is Jess?" Concern filled her voice.

"A couple more minutes, lass." Sami sighed, relieved.

"Thanks." She hastily shoved the radio in her pocket. She looked over at where Fletcher now laid, scared to death. "You alright?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." He slowly picked himself up. Sami nodded back at him and moved deeper into the forest, away from the pass. She heard the sound of crackling leaves grow closer. She stopped and hid behind a tree, opposite the direction of the sound.

"I don't think there's anyone here," one Black Hole soldier exclaimed as he unknowingly passed Sami. She moved quickly, slamming the butt of her assault rifle into his head. She then tripped the other soldier and slamming the rifle butt down on his head as well. She looked up towards the front of Black Hole's force as she heard artillery fire rain down.

_"Finally she's here!"_ Sami was relieved. She made several hand motions to the other marines in the forest. They understood the meaning of her motions and proceeded to fire down upon the enemy. Sami pulled a grenade out of her pocket, pulled the pin out with her teeth, and threw it down upon the enemy.

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	13. All Together Again

Well, it's been a while hasn't it... I've been busy, and I probably will be busy until next year, but I'll update when I can... maybe.

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Chapter 5  
All Together Again

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"It was a stupid idea for you to go out injured." Eagle looked down at the shorter Sami.

"Yeah, well it wasn't very bright for you to be fighting with Jess, when you could be trying to help liberate your country." Eagle sighed; she had beaten him in a battle of wits. Her idea hadn't been the brightest, but it beat his apparent 'idea'. Even though he would have been adamantly opposed to the idea of her going if he had known ahead of time, she fared well.

But no matter what, he figured he'd worry about her. He looked at her in the bright sunlight. She had the combat uniform on, as she usually did, but the one major difference was she had the sleeves rolled up to her biceps. Her muscles weren't as large as Max's but it was definitely obvious that she had some muscle. Her sweat glistened in the sunlight. Her face was perfectly framed by her short reddish-orange hair, though in the sunlight, her hair looked much redder. Her hazel eyes were framed by her glasses. He had rarely seen her in glasses, but he figured she most often wore contacts instead. She also wore the famous eight-tipped hat with the Marine Corps emblem sown on it. "What are you looking at?" He snapped out of his thinking.

"Oh, nothing." Sami crossed her arms and gave him a blantantly doubtful look.

_"Yeah, right."_ She continued looking at him. She figured he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. At least, that she noticed. She wasn't into that sort of thing. She liked to keep track of how many men she turned down. But, no matter how adamant she was about not dating, everyone continued bothering her about it. Sonja, her friends, her relatives, even her father.

"Alright, everyone over here!" Nell shouted not but a short distance way. They had been talking out on the large balcony of the meeting room of the Green Earth Military Headquarters building in the capital. Max and Andy had also been out on the balcony, along with Sonja and Grit, a Blue Moon Commanding Officer. They all moved inside as Nell called them.

Nell looked around, and then noticing that everyone was inside, she started. "Alright, we've received word of a large Black Hole fortress to the north. It's time to attack their main base!" There were many nods and shout of joy as she finished. They were all together again and even with a few new faces. Together, nothing could stop them. But these next battles were going to be the hardest; they would be against Sturm, the head of Black Hole.

"Let's move out."

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They moved through the mountain pass, but they all promptly stopped when the Black Hole fortress came in to view.

"So this is their 'citadel' as they call it." Max eyed every visible part of the fortress.

"I don't care what they call it, but it's gonna fall." Many of the others nodded in agreement to Sami's comment.

"So, this is where they brought all the stuff they pillaged." Andy moved pass Sami and Max continuing to look at the large structure. "So, we'll destroy it and get all our stuff back then!" He turned to look back at the others.

"Perhaps, but we've only confirmed that it was all sent here, it may not be here anymore," Nell responded.

"Are you saying they might have moved it to another location?" Eagle's hands were in fists yet again. If that was true, then there were a lot more battles ahead.

"But why would they move it?"A big man spoke with a deep Russian accent from the back of the group. It was Olaf, the head commanding officer from Blue Moon.

"We we all gotta assume they weren't just gathering it for kicks," Grit started with his thick western accent filling the forest. "They've gotta have somethin' planned, 'n more than likely, they've gone 'n moved all of our stuff to where they're gonna need it." He looked back at Nell. "That sound 'bout right?"

"That's exactly right. Which means this battle will help us discover their true intents."

"So our target is…" Olaf spoke again before Sonja promptly interrupted.

"The three Black Cannons."

"Just the cannons? Are you sure, Sonja?" A tall man spoke from behind her. It was Kanbei, the emperor of Yellow Comet.

"Yes, Father. If we eliminate the cannons, should be able to rout the enemy. If there's nothing here for them to protect, they'll run. Proving whether or not this is their true headquarters."

"Okay! Let's go, guys!" Andy shouted as he headed down the hill. They rest of the commanding officers followed.

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	14. A Night Together

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Chapter 6A Night Together

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"Well, that came to no avail." He threw the papers he had been reading down on his desk.

"Eagle, you can't be so pessimistic." Sami's voice carried across the room. "We won, and we now know where the main headquarters is.

"But now we're in another fight. Ugh, will this ever end?"

"Yes, but your whining isn't helping." She laid her head back on the armrest of the couch she was laying on. "One last battle. You sure you can handle it?" Hints of sarcasm could be heard in her voice.

"Yes, I'm sure," he replied, bluntly. "But last time we all were sure that Sturm was dead. That proved wrong. I just want to be sure that son of a-" He stopped himself short. "That he gets what he deserves."

"He will, trust me. I'll make sure of that." She slid lower on the couch, her body almost completely parallel to the ground. She yawned, then turned her body on her side, facing Eagle. Her arms were crossed and she slowly closed her eyes as her head hit the pillow. She wasn't trying to fall asleep, she just wanted to take her last few moments of being awake to think.

Her mind went back to all the times she had been with him before. From the first to the last time. She felt different around him, ever since the time she had met him, but she couldn't quite figure it out. Neither the feeling nor the reason it was just around him. She had never felt this way around anyone before.

Eagle looked across the room at the marine that lay in front of him. He did know why, but even when she was angry at him, she was beautiful. Just looking at her could snap him of almost any mood he was in, but he didn't know why she had that effect on him. He looked down at his watch. 2122 hours. He looked back up at her, figuring she was asleep.

"She got the right idea," he mumbled quickly under his breath.

"What idea?" He was startled by her voice. Hadn't she been asleep?

"The idea of trying to get some rest."

"I'm not trying to go to sleep, in fact, I'm trying to stay awake, which is pretty easy, considering how uncomfortable this couch is." He looked straight at Sami while she talked. She never opened her eyes, but somehow that didn't diminish her capabilities. He could barely hear himself as he talked, but she had heard him perfectly from across the room. He sighed, she could do it all apparently.

"Y'know if I were going to get some sleep, I'd do it in my own quarters," she spoke again, with only her mouth moving as she spoke. "What time is it?"

"About 2130." He looked at her unmoving body. "You should go get some rest, we've got to start early tomorrow." She opened her eyes to look back at him. He finally got some movement out of her. She lifted herself up into a sitting position.

"I'll go get some rest if you promise to stop looking over those reports and get some too." Eagle nodded.

"I promise. Now go, no use having an excellent commander if she's just going to sleep the battle away." Sami made no reply at that moment, in words or body language, she just walked out. But as soon as she was out of his eyesight, a slight grin encompassed her face.

_"Excellent commander, eh?"_

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After he was sure she was gone, he sat down and grabbed the top report. He didn't feel right lying to her like that, but he needed to look over these reports. Eagle sighed. He got halfway through the second report before sleep began to overcome him. Normally he could keep himself awake, but he was having trouble doing that tonight.

_"Consequences of lying to her I guess…"_ He set the report down on the desk and walked over to the small cot that lay in the corner of the room. He promptly threw himself on the bed and was asleep in no time.

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Sami lay on her side on her cot. She was trying hard to sleep but for some reason she couldn't. She kept thinking about him. If that would have been Andy or Max, she wouldn't have left that easily, but it was Eagle, and she couldn't fight him for some reason. She sighed. Tomorrow was going to be the biggest battle of the entire war, and as Eagle put it, they didn't need a tired commander. She groaned.

_"What's the matter with me?!"_ She searched her mind for a reason why she couldn't sleep, and all she kept coming back to was him. She groaned again. Why couldn't she get him out of her mind? Nobody had ever troubled her this bad, but for some reason every time she thought of him, she was peaceful. She rubbed her eyes. _"C'mon, Sam, just go to sleep."_ She continued to wrestle with her thoughts until she finally sleep overcame her.

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	15. Falling For Each Other

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Chapter 7  
Falling for Each Other

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The now allied forces had moved far in a day and were now storming the main building of the Black Hole base that held the laser cannon. The Commanding Officers had split into groups of two to try and find a way to break the huge contraption. Sami and Eagle were sent to search the the third floor of the large building.

"Eagle, be careful," Sami hissed under her breath as she pulled him back from the steep edge of the third floor.

"I am being careful," Eagle retorted, pulling himself away from her.

"Whatever." She quickly moved around him, bumping him in the shoulder as she passed him.

"Hey! You there! Stop!" They both looked back and saw several Black Hole soldiers running towards them.

"Shoot! Eagle, run!" Sami yelled pulling him behind her as she took off. They ran, quickly turning the corners. Sami skidded to a stop as she hit an edge, with a long drop off of the side. She looked back. "No! Eagle, stop!" but it was too late. He slammed right into her, sending the both of them plummeting over the edge.

The both hit the water at the same time, sinking slowly beneath the surface. Sami came to first, quickly swimming up to the surface.

"Eagle? Eagle?!" she screamed as she broke the surface, quickly turning her head from side to side, looking for him. "Ah, no." She dove under the water. She quickly swam, searching for him. She jetted towards him as soon as she saw him. Sami grabbed him by the back of his collar, trying franticly to pull him up above the surface. The was somewhat hard, considering he weight a substantial bit more that she did, and he also weighed more than the supply pack she had been trained to swim with, but after some struggle she had pulled him above the water's surface.

She pulled his body to the edge of the water and lifted him up onto the small concrete pathway that lined the sewers. She pulled herself up afterwards. She pushed him onto his back as he coughed the water out of him.

"Eagle? Eagle? C'mon, snap out of it." Her voice was soft and gentle. His eyes slowly opened.

"S-sami…"

"Relax… just relax for right now." She gently held him at a slight angle off the floor. She looked up, scanning the platform from which they had fallen from the soldiers. She saw no one. She wondered if they had seen them coming up out of the water. If so, they'd be in trouble.

Sami looked back down at him. He was unconscious again, resting his head against her shoulder. She adjusted herself to be more comfortable, but continued letting him rest against her. She looked cautiously around the large chamber, half looking to see if anyone was coming, and half looking to find a way out. She would occasionally look down at the resting Eagle.

"Hey! I think I heard something! This way!" Sami was instantly alerted. She slowly set Eagle down, and grabbed the gun from her side. She listened as the voices quickly came closer. She turned recognizing the corridor from which the voices were coming from. She lifted the gun and aimed carefully at the corridor, and got ready to shoot, keeping herself still until the owners of the voices came into view.

"Andy?! I could've killed you!" She quickly replaced the gun at her side. Max and Andy turned the corner.

"Sami! You're alright! We were sent to find you and Eagle when we lost radio contact with you." Sami reached into her pocket as he spoke, lifting the radio out. She tilted the radio on its side and out came a flood of water.

"That could be the problem."

"Did you guys fall into the sewage water?" Sami nodded at Max's question. "Do you know what's in there?!"

"I'd rather not know," she replied, fearing what on Earth could be in that water.

"Hey, where's Eagle?" Sami turned so that they could see him laying there.

"Resting."

"Not quite." Eagle flipped himself over and slowly rose. "Y'know that what's in that water is-"

"No! Please, I'd really rather not know." Her plea was even more desperate now.

"Fine, whatever." He bumped her in the shoulder. Sami rolled her eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me." He looked back and gave her a smirk while she looked at him, surprised he even knew she did that.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes again in retaliation. He shook his head as she moved to stand next to him.

"So, I guess we should contact Nell."

"I'll use my radio," Eagle offered.

"Your radio probably won't work."

"Really now," Eagle replied picking the plastic bag that held his radio. Sami looked at the bag, shocked and embarrassed. He slipped the radio out of the bag. "See. No water damage. Didn't know to do that, huh?" He gave her and evil smirk.

"Why didn't you tell me about doing that?"

"I thought you were smart enough to know that." Sami crossed her arms and looked away, trying hard not to blush.

"She wants us back at the meeting point. So, let's go." Sami uncrossed her arms and walked out the sewage chamber through the corridor Max and Andy had entered from. She led them back to the meeting point.

"Ah, so you guys are alright!"

"Yeah, we're fine, Nell," Sami spoke matter-of-factly.

"Why are you soaking wet?"

"Fell into the sewers."

"What exactly did you fall into?"

"Don't know. Don't really want to know." Nell nodded in agreement.

"Probably for the best."

"Found the weak point yet?"

"No."

"I believe I've found it."

"Where?"

"Look down." Nell looked down. There was a small hatch, with her standing on top of its lid.

"How did I miss that?"

"You were too busy looking up." Sami reached down to open the lid after Nell had moved back off of it.

"So, who wants to go down there?"

"I'll go." Sami proceeded to lower herself down the hole.

"You can't go alone."

"Then I'll go with her." Nell looked up at Eagle, then back a Sami. She sighed.

"Fine. Go on."

"See ya!" Sami dropped herself down the hatch.

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End file.
